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Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, who helped the club win the Champions League during his time there, is reportedly set to return to Stamford Bridge as a player-coach at the start of next week.

Reports have emerged that the Ivorian would join Chelsea after ten years since Drogba initially moved to the Stamford Bridge from Marseille in a 24 million pound deal.

Drogba is a free agent after his 18-month stint in Turkey with Galatasaray and is expected to be integrated into Jose Mourinho's coaching staff as well as playing on for one more season, Metro.co.uk reported.

With Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o both having left Chelsea this summer, and Romelu Lukaku constantly being linked with a departure, speculations are that Fernando Torres would be the only alternative to new boy Diego Costa should nobody else arrive.

Drogba spent eight years at Stamford Bridge, famously signing off by scoring the winning penalty and equalizing goal in the 2012 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Mourinho would be counting on the charismatic striker to bring some vital experience and leadership to the Chelsea dressing room, especially following the departures of veteran trio Eto'o, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, the report added. (ANI)